Draft Prospect: Omri Casspi

[Marcus Bryant]

http://www.nba.com/media/playerfile/omri_casspi.jpg

Full Name: Omri Casspi
Position: Forward
Height/Weight: 6-8 / 225
Birthdate: June 22, 1988
High School:
Team: Maccabi Tel Aviv
Country: Israel

NBA (http://www.nba.com/draft2008/profiles/OmriCasspi.html)
NBADraft.net (http://www.nbadraft.net/admincp/profiles/omricasspi.html)
DraftExpress (http://www.draftexpress.com/profile/Omri-Casspi-538/)

[ducks]

did not spurs send scouts to see him play

[ducks]

Failed to win the Israeli HS league despite being in the most talented team and ended up leaving the school after disagreements with his coach
no thank you
he and pop would have problems

[Kori Ellis]

This guy is actually very good and the Spurs have scouted him quite a bit from what I understand. He had a little attitude problem when he was younger, but apparently he's growing out of it. I saw some tape of this guy about a year and a half ago. I think he'll be good.

[exstatic]

Allegedly a head case. Didn't we already go through this with Beno? Massive talent, but a big baby when he doesn't feel the love.

Another euro who will probably end up playing for CSKA Moscow or Tau and not take NBA first round money.

[kobyz]

he is not a good shooter, he can't create his own shot, he do his points mostly of ofensive rebound, PASS!!

[JamStone]

Darko Milicic had attitude problems and he turned out fine.

[ducks]

does he have a contract now?
if so how much is his buyout
if he can come next year you pick him
if you want him to stay over there a year do not pick him

[Big P]

If we keep our picks as they are, & Batum is gone by the time we pick, this is one of the guys I would like to see us take.

[E20]

Darko Milicic had attitude problems and he turned out fine.
I always sort of point this out, but DAMN, the Pistons could have drafted Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony or Chris Bosh.............................................. .........................:bang

[Mr. Body]

Has Kobe's attitude without the talent.

[mystargtr34]

Dont know much about this guy at all... pretty much been locked into Splitter all year... and Batum

[urunobili]

I always sort of point this out, but DAMN, the Pistons could have drafted Dwyane Wade, Carmelo Anthony or Chris Bosh.............................................. .........................:bang

thinking about how rasheed is panning out today... Chris Bosh may have made the Pistons perennial contenders going OUT of the ECF more than twice...:depressed

[mountainballer]

Darko Milicic had attitude problems and he turned out fine.

this is one of the few cases, when I look out for this irony alert icon.

[wildbill2u]

First, we're gonna have to find out how to manuver in the changed money circumstances where the other teams worldwide can out bid us for talent because of the rookie salary cap.

I don't think you can draft and stash any more with the player remaining in Europe or somewhere to develop. If the player develops as you hope and becomes a great player, then the team holding his rights will simply outbid the rookie contract a la Splitter--and you're out a draft choice.

This is critical as we try to retool to save the years remaining on the Big 3.

[Pero]

Meh, my bet is that this guy is going to suck.

[tav1]

First, we're gonna have to find out how to manuver in the changed money circumstances where the other teams worldwide can out bid us for talent because of the rookie salary cap.

I don't think you can draft and stash any more with the player remaining in Europe or somewhere to develop. If the player develops as you hope and becomes a great player, then the team holding his rights will simply outbid the rookie contract a la Splitter--and you're out a draft choice.

This is critical as we try to retool to save the years remaining on the Big 3.

The only internationals I'd want to see the Spurs draft in round are the Italian kid or Batum....but that is because of value.

I think it is safer, given the diminishing dollar, to draft internationals in Round 2 because of the how the rookie contracts are regulated. Casspi high in Round 2 would be a great pick.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

Great player and if he changes his attitude, the Spurs will be taking him for sure.

[JoshO501]

pretty cool article on him.

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/990778.html

[Mr. Body]

FTFA:


The San Antonio Spurs have mastered this system, and one of the reasons for their tremendous success in the past decade comes from allowing players like Manu Ginobili to develop their game in Europe and then come stateside several years after being drafted.


This kind of paragraph needs to die a quick death. It's absolutely wrong.

[Mister Sinister]

Holy shit, dude has the exact same birthdate and birthyear as I do.

[Marcus Bryant]

If Omri Casspi decides to stay in the draft, that likely means two things. One, he has found a promise in the first round, and two, that is likely coming from the San Antonio Spurs. They’ve been out to see him in Tel Aviv far more than any other NBA team, and reportedly really like the way he plays. He would stay in Europe for at least a season or two, though.

link (http://www.draftexpress.com/blog/International-Blog/)

[ducks]

He would stay in Europe for at least a season or two, though.
WHY?

[AFBlue]

If they think this kid will likely be out of reach next year (i.e. lottery pick) and they like him alot, I can definitely see them doing something like this. They did the same thing with Mahinimi, who they felt would've been a top-10 selection in the following year's draft if he had not been selected by the Spurs.

Not thrilled about the prospect, but the Spurs could do worse.

[Marcus Bryant]

Omri Casspi

The season finished a few days ago for Omri Casspi, virtually in tragedy. That’s the only possible description for Maccabi Tel Aviv losing the national championship in the final against Hapoel Holon. Capable of the best and the worst, it’s seriously hard to find a more inconsistent campaign for any single team across the Continent, as it has been for the Euroleague runner up.

Casspi has been an integral part of the debacle, staying as unsteady as his team, and enjoying a starting role in the domestic competition. His performance in the Final Four was pretty weak, going scoreless in the semis, and collecting just 3 points in the final, despite playing a combined 35 minutes in the two games. However, the season has also left plenty to drool about –such as his improved ability to defend perimeter players- while showcasing first-round calibre talent. Still, the depth of this draft could push him to the second round.


http://www.draftexpress.com/gallery/OmriCasspi/1212641812.jpg

Casspi is already in the States working out for NBA teams. His first workout was in Miami on the 3rd, followed by Detroit on the 4th and Memphis on the 5th. He will not participate in the Eurocamp, instead opting to squeeze as many NBA workouts as he can before the 16th. If he cannot secure a spot in the first round, he will likely remove his name and head back to Europe, where he may or may not return to Maccabi Tel Aviv. He will surely make a big impact next season regardless of where he plays.

link (http://www.draftexpress.com/blog/International-Blog/)

[El_Mago]

Not the way the Spurs did it with Ian.

I doubt they have even promised him anything as of yet.

Ian did not work out with any teams, and stayed in France until a couple days prior to the draft.

Shoot, they did not even have his name ready to go, so that it could go on the board.

Omri is a talent, but does not seem to come with a winners mentality. He has yet to win anything or accomplish anything worth stating. However, I do believe the Spurs have gone and seen him various times and are interested....just not so much as to promise him anything.

On the other hand, I really like Anton Ponkrashov of Russia. He's 6'7 and can play the PG and SG. He's fairly young. He's playing over in Europe for power house CSKA Moscow, and unlike TAU, I believe Popovich has good relations with CSKA. He has nice size and long arms, and unlike most Euro's...he has some build to him. He can play the point effectively and is left handed. He does have a funky release on the shot, but that can be worked on with Chip.

Here is a video I found on YouTube. It is nothing fancy. It is just him going up against the Clippers (Shaun Livingston and Sam Cassel).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJPJLvo2M8s

[Marcus Bryant]

Not the way the Spurs did it with Ian.

I doubt they have even promised him anything as of yet.

Ian did not work out with any teams, and stayed in France until a couple days prior to the draft.

Shoot, they did not even have his name ready to go, so that it could go on the board.

Omri is a talent, but does not seem to come with a winners mentality. He has yet to win anything or accomplish anything worth stating. However, I do believe the Spurs have gone and seen him various times and are interested....just not so much as to promise him anything.

On the other hand, I really like Anton Ponkrashov of Russia. He's 6'7 and can play the PG and SG. He's fairly young. He's playing over in Europe for power house CSKA Moscow, and unlike TAU, I believe Popovich has good relations with CSKA. He has nice size and long arms, and unlike most Euro's...he has some build to him. He can play the point effectively and is left handed. He does have a funky release on the shot, but that can be worked on with Chip.

Here is a video I found on YouTube. It is nothing fancy. It is just him going up against the Clippers (Shaun Livingston and Sam Cassel).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZJPJLvo2M8s

http://www.spurstalk.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97939

[AFBlue]

Not the way the Spurs did it with Ian.

I doubt they have even promised him anything as of yet.

I'm not sure they've promised him anything either, but I agree with DX assessment that if he doesn't pull out of the draft it means he likely has a promise to be drafted in the first round....and the Spurs have shown the most interest to date.

[picnroll]

If the Spurs draft another late round Euro with the intenetion of stashing him in Europe for development the FO should all be fired immediately after the draft.

[Mr. Body]

If they promise and then draft this guy in the first round I'll get a sickening, sinking feeling in my stomach that this team doesn't intend to improve itself any time soon.

[El_Mago]

I personally don't mind the FO stashing away Euro's.

Two out of the five Euro's drafted in the first round last year immediately made the jump to the Pro's, and Fernandez has already agreed to come in for Portland this coming up year.

Koponen and Splitter are the only one's for sure not coming at the moment. I do not know Koponen's situation other than Portland does not NEED him right now, so maybe that's why there is not a sudden urge.

Splitter on the other hand, has signed a 4 year contract with Tau.

Now, the reason I don't mind the Spurs drafting Euro's or foreigners is because they do indeed have an eye for talent:

Ginobili, Giricek, Parker, Barbosa, Scola, Ian, Splitter....The majority of these guys are decent role players for their squads and stars, or have the PROMISE to become something special.

The jury is still out on Sanikidze because he is young, and has shown promise in the Spurs summer league.

Karalouv and Javtokas could be considered BUSTS, but Javtokas did suffer a motorcylce accident, which did hamper is career.

Thus, the Spurs got burned with Scola and Splitter. But, Splitter is still ours and could one day play a role with the Spurs.

Yet, we all know the Spurs have a plan of 2010, and are shooting for a Big Star to go along with the core of Ginobili, Parker, and Duncan. We won't have money to sign a bunch of decent role players, so there is a possibility the Spurs can stash away promising players for at least two years, and hope that they are studs and use them to surrond the core group in 2010...ala Splitter, when he is available once again.

I know there is a huge calling to get younger, but we all know that's just not the way the Spurs do it. If you look back at the WCF, the Spurs were simply out of gas. They played a grueling 7 game series against New Orleans, got stranded on a plane the day before the WCF, and then had to play every other day.

This team does not need a massive overhaul. I expect the Spurs to go foreign once again.

[clubalien]

Allegedly a head case. Didn't we already go through this with Beno? Massive talent, but a big baby when he doesn't feel the love.

Another euro who will probably end up playing for CSKA Moscow or Tau and not take NBA first round money.

plus he is a jew

[Marcus Bryant]

I personally don't mind the FO stashing away Euro's.

Two out of the five Euro's drafted in the first round last year immediately made the jump to the Pro's, and Fernandez has already agreed to come in for Portland this coming up year.

Koponen and Splitter are the only one's for sure not coming at the moment. I do not know Koponen's situation other than Portland does not NEED him right now, so maybe that's why there is not a sudden urge.

Splitter on the other hand, has signed a 4 year contract with Tau.

Now, the reason I don't mind the Spurs drafting Euro's or foreigners is because they do indeed have an eye for talent:

Ginobili, Giricek, Parker, Barbosa, Scola, Ian, Splitter....The majority of these guys are decent role players for their squads and stars, or have the PROMISE to become something special.

The jury is still out on Sanikidze because he is young, and has shown promise in the Spurs summer league.

Karalouv and Javtokas could be considered BUSTS, but Javtokas did suffer a motorcylce accident, which did hamper is career.

Thus, the Spurs got burned with Scola and Splitter. But, Splitter is still ours and could one day play a role with the Spurs.

Yet, we all know the Spurs have a plan of 2010, and are shooting for a Big Star to go along with the core of Ginobili, Parker, and Duncan. We won't have money to sign a bunch of decent role players, so there is a possibility the Spurs can stash away promising players for at least two years, and hope that they are studs and use them to surrond the core group in 2010...ala Splitter, when he is available once again.

I know there is a huge calling to get younger, but we all know that's just not the way the Spurs do it. If you look back at the WCF, the Spurs were simply out of gas. They played a grueling 7 game series against New Orleans, got stranded on a plane the day before the WCF, and then had to play every other day.

This team does not need a massive overhaul. I expect the Spurs to go foreign once again.

Well, the way to think about it is that they would not have been able to draft Splitter and Scola if not for the concerns about their Tau contracts. We aren't talking about the Spurs squandering lottery picks when they could have picked up immediate stars instead. These were low picks. In Splitter's case he may end up coming over in 2010. With some coin in his pocket that rookie contract may not be as much of a concern then. In any event, by then we might not care much if Splitter joins the Spurs to back up TD and Ian or not.

Mahinmi stands to join the active roster next season and should have a real shot at cracking the rotation. In his case the draft and stash plan has been working well, as well as the Toros acquisition. If Sanikidze has a good showing in the summer leagues then he should at least have a shot at spending a season in Austin.

This summer, I think you use the #26 and 45 on domestic players, given the immediate need to rejuvenate the supporting cast. There are a fair number of athletes who should be available out of the top 45 players drafted.

[exstatic]

plus he is a jew

WTF? Jooz can ball.

[Marcus Bryant]

-Maccabi Tel Aviv’s Omri Casspi has withdrawn his name from the draft, likely after not finding a promise from any team in the first round. Casspi is in a great situation to excel in the Euroleague with Maccabi next year, and should make a strong run to be drafted in the first round.

link (http://www.draftexpress.com/article/Early-Entry-Withdrawal-Deadline-Who-s-In-or-Out--537-EST--2929/)

[Marcus Bryant]

Interesting considering that the Spurs had reportedly scouted him heavily.

[ducks]

everyone knows he was scouted heavily by spurs
cia pop?

[Marcus Bryant]

everyone knows he was scouted heavily by spurs
cia pop?

What exactly is being hidden vis a vis Casspi?

[AFBlue]

Interesting that he opted out, though to his credit he was open and honest about the situation the whole time....if he didn't get a first round promise he'd withdraw.

What I find most interesting though, is that it would likely have been more to his benefit to be a second round pick...he'd make more money.

Oh well....no big loss.

[Spur-Addict]

plus he is a jew

:spless:

[ducks]

he withdraw

that is good I guess
he would make more money in second round though
he has no brain iq

[Mr. Body]

First good sign the Spurs don't aim on doing something stupid.

[SequSpur]

lada de lada da.....lada de lada da....

[SequSpur]

gettin jiggy with it...

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

At least bump a thread of a player that's still gonna be around this year.

[SequSpur]

At least bump a thread of a player that's still gonna be around this year.

some of us know things....

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

some of us know things....

that doesnt make sense...

[SequSpur]

that doesnt make sense...

It's all good brotha... it's all good... I just saw this dude from Israel and I bumped it... that's all... Hey... la la la....it's all good.

[Mr.Bottomtooth]

:lol ok.

[ducks]

It's all good brotha... it's all good... I just saw this dude from Israel and I bumped it... that's all... Hey... la la la....it's all good.

quit being an attention whore

[SequSpur]

quit being an attention whore

F off... don't ever post after me again you short bus riding troll postin retard.

[ducks]

why?